Dylan and Cole Sprouse
| birthplace = Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy | occupation = Actors | yearsactive = 1993 — present | othername = Sprouse Bros, (Sprouse twins) | homepage = http://www.sprousebros.com/ | pets = A dog(Bubba) }} Cole Mitchell Sprouse & Dylan Thomas Sprouse (born August 4, 1992) are American actors who are identical twins. They are collectively referred to as Cole & Dylan, the Sprouse Bros., or the Sprouse Twins, and are known for their roles in the film Big Daddy, as Patrick Kelly in Grace Under Fire, Ross's son Ben on Friends (played by Cole), and for portraying the title characters on the Disney Channel sitcoms The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and The Suite Life on Deck. As a result of the series' success, they have become "heartthrobs" and "overwhelming draws" among preteen and teen audiences. Early lives The Sprouses were born in Arezzo, Italy, to American parents Matthew Sprouse and Melanie Wright, who at the time were teaching at an English language school in Italy. Dylan, named after poet Dylan Thomas, is 15 minutes older than Cole, who is named for jazz singer and pianist Nat King Cole. The boys moved back to the United States, four months after their birth. They grew up in their parents' native Long Beach, California. Their parents divorced in 1997, and they now live in Calabasas, California. Acting careers After a suggestion by their grandmother, Jonine Booth Wright, who was a drama teacher and actress, the Sprouses began acting at the age of six months. The twosome first appeared in a commercial for toilet paper switching on-screen time every few seconds. As with many identical twin actors, the two have often played the same role, allowing more time for the character to be filmed. At six months old, the two appeared on the ABC-TV series Grace Under Fire from 1993 to 1998, playing one character, Patrick Kelly. In 1999, the boys appeared in their first major feature film, Big Daddy, in which they shared the role of a five-year old boy named 'Julian' who is adopted by Adam Sandler's character 'Sonny Koufax'. That year, the boys collaborated with Sandler on the second and third versions of The Chanukah Song (Dylan and The Drei-Dels in Part 3 and Cole in Part 2), and the boys also had a minor role in the thriller The Astronaut's Wife. The Sprouses have noted that after Big Daddy's release, the two entered into a slow period in their careers and were not cast in any major roles for a time. During the early 2000s, the twins appeared in episodes of the The Nightmare Room and That '70s Show, as well as in MADtv: Season Four (1998-1999) (episode #425) and the feature films The Master of Disguise and a voice-over role in Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights. In 2001, Cole began appearing in episodes of the television show Friends, as Ross Geller's son Ben. Many people think it was a shared role, however their web site and other credible sources specify that Dylan did not appear in any episodes. Between the years of 2002 and 2003, the two appeared in I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus and Just for Kicks, both of which were family films that received a direct-to-video release. The Sprouses were subsequently cast in the Disney Channel original series The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, where they play identical twins Zack (Dylan) and Cody (Cole) Martin . The series, which debuted in March 2005, has become a ratings success and the twins have become very well known among pre-teen and teen audiences. As part of their involvement with Disney, the brothers are now part of the 11-member group, the Disney Channel Circle of Stars, and sang the song A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes along with the members of the circle, for a video that was released as bonus material in the special edition version of the Disney film Cinderella. The Sprouses have also participated in the Disney Channel Games every year since 2006. The Sprouses played one character, Jeremiah, in the independent film The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things, which was produced in 2004 but not given a theatrical release until March 2006, when it only played in three theatres across the United States, ultimately grossing $29,000 domestically. In November 2006, the two began filming the Sony Pictures film The Prince and the Pauper, with Sally Kellerman, Ed Lauter and Dedee Pfeiffer, in Palm Beach, Florida; filming had begun in October and ended by December. The Prince and the Pauper came out on DVD on February 5th, 2008. The two lent their voices to a movie called Holidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn't Happen, which also features the voices of fellow Disney Channel stars Brenda Song and Emily Osment. Dylan played the voice of Shasta in Disney's "Snow Buddies." The brothers filmed Kings of Appletown which is based on Tom Sawyer. It was directed by Bobby Moresco, written by Amanda Moresco and also featured Victoria Justice from Nickelodeon's Zoey 101. It was filmed in New Braunfels, Texas and is estimated to be released around Christmas 2008. "Sprouse Bros." brand In September 2005, the Sprouses signed a licensing agreement with Dualstar Entertainment to create a new commercial brand entitled "Sprouse Bros", which includes DVD movies, CDs, clothing, sports gear, video games, ring tones and deodorants targeted towards preteen and teen audiences. Dualstar partnered with Leisure Publishing LLC to create a magazine called Sprouse Bros. Code, targeting boys ages 8-14 with a guide on recent trends favored by the Sprouses; Cole Sprouse has stated that the magazine appeals to "people who are our age and boys. We don't want anything too girlie", while Dylan has said that it will have "something that will appeal to everybody". The first issue became available on July 18, 2006. In September 2006, the Sprouse brothers, represented by Dualstar Entertainment, signed a book deal with Simon Spotlight, a publishing company, to release a spy book series that utilizes the "Sprouse Bros." brand. The book series, which was scheduled for release in the summer of 2007, was described by the publisher as featuring the Sprouses as "young James Bonds or undercover agents". In June 2007, Simon & Schuster Inc. published the first two volumes of Sprouse Bros. 47 R.O.N.I.N. The series is about 15-year-old twin brothers Tom and Mitch (the Sprouses' middle names) who learn that their father and live-in butler are members of a rogue crime-fighting organization, R.O.N.I.N., which dates back to feudal Japan, that their father is in danger and that they have just been recruited to join their father's clan. Personal lives Dylan Sprouse has stated that the experience of coming to fame after the success of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody is "kind of scary, how fast everything is moving. Just a year ago none of this was happening, it was just doing 'Suite Life,' and now I can't wait for what's in store..." While filming The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, the two received on-set tutoring for three hours each day, and claimed to be getting "straight A's and honors". The Sprouses enjoy skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, basketball and motocrossing, as well as writing or drawing a comic strip, The Adventures of Tibblebu and Thumbin, based on a stuffed animal of Cole's. Cole Sprouse's favorite school subjects are mathematics and science; he names The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time as his favorite video game and Forrest Gump and Godzilla as the films he likes the most. Dylan prefers history, dislikes mathematics, and enjoys playing the video games Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl; his favorite film is Napoleon Dynamite. The twins have a dog named Bubba, and their favorite actor and co-star is Adam Sandler. According to a May 2006 interview with Mad Kids magazine, the Sprouses do not speak Italian, despite incorrect reports to the contrary:The Internet Movie Database and several other trivia web sites have incorrectly suggested that the Sprouses speak Italian. Cole says: "I can't say anything in Italian. "Pizza, per favore sic" maybe?" Dylan says: "...I don't really speak Italian except for "spaghetti", "Italian ice" (Yum!), and "Ferrari". Filmography Discography *2005- A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes in DisneyMania 4 References External links * Sprouse Bros. – Official website * (Cole) * (Dylan) Category:Actors Category:The Suite Life of Zack and Cody Category:The Suite Life on Deck Category:Born in the 1990's Category:August Birthdays